Apparatus for nesting flat drinking cups



July 2, 1940. 5, w HENRY 2,206,228

APPARATUS FOR NESTING FLAT DRINKING CUPS Filed Aug. 19, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2 S4 4- 53 Flgl. A

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y 2, 1940- s. w. HENRY APPARATUS FOR NESTING FLAT DRINKING CUPS Filed Aug. 19, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnverSTor" W. Hem" Shaka bywx wlrif S. W. HENRY APPARATUS FOR NESTING FLAT DRINKING CUPS July 2; 1940.

Filed Aug. 19, 1939 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 \fiVfiHTOT, Shaka VV. Hem b Myf A T'i'ysq Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 O F E f ffazoazzs APPARATUS FOR NESTING FLAT DRINKING l CUPS Shala W. Henry, Hyde Park, Mass., assignor t Edgar mcqall lm, Falmouth, Mass.

n Application Augu st 1 9, 1939, Serial No. 290,961

,1 Claims. (cine-36.05)

.This invention relates. to an apparatus for loading fiat open-mouthed paper drinking cups form astack of nested cups.

Flat paper drinkingcupsare {commonly made into a magazine in nested relation thereby to l i by folding a blank of paper into cup shape with the edge portions of the blank having antover lapping relation and adhesively secured together. In these cups, the adhesively united overlapping edgesof the blank are usually located. onone side of the fiat cup, thereby producing two 1 plies or thicknesses of paper on said side. The other 1 side of the cup, however, is formedfrom a single plyor thickness. For convenience. in describing the invention,I will refer to the single ply side of the cup asthe front sidefand theotherside having the two plies or thicknesses as the back side, it being understood that these terms are usedlarbitrarily andymerelyfor jconveniencein identifyingthe opposite sides of thejcup.

Drinking cups of this type areusually used in connection with a cup dispenser adapted to rel ceive a stack of nested cupsand arrangedto deliver the cups singly from the stack, as needed. If a stack of nested cups 1 is formed with the single ply front side ofall the cups on the one sidefof the stack and the two-plyvback* side of all the cups on the other side of the stack, there will be a tendency for the stack to assume a curved shape, rather than extending in" a straight .line thereby making it more difficult to handle the stack of nested cups when they; arebeing in a cups in such a manner thatpart of :the cups in for the invent-ionwhich ishere in illustrated, the apparatus is constructed so that: thealternate packaged or being introduced into a cup-dispensing apparatus. i

One of the objects of. the present invention is to provide an apparatus for nesting'drinking the stack of nested cupslwill have their single ply sides on one side of the stack and the other 7 cups willhave their single ply sideslon the other side of the stack. In thejpreferred embodiment cups are placedin the stack in nestedrelation with the single ply front side on one side of the stack. and the other cups are arranged'with their single ply front side on th-efopposite side of the stack. Withthisarrangement, any two adjacent nested cups in the stack are reversed in position relativeto each other, one" of such cups having its front side on one side of: the stack and the other having its front side onthe opposite side of the stack. @By sodoing, a stack of paper drinking cups can be built up which will jhaveno tendencyrto curveone way or the other a platform onto which the drinking cups are delivered, one by one, a magazine adapted to hold a stack of nested cups, and a cup-transferring member adapted to take the cups from the platform one by one and deliver each cup to the magazine in nested relation to the stack -of nested cups therein. l r l -Another object of my invention is to provide novel pneumatic meansfor holding each cup in position onthe platform while the cup transferring member is being manipulated into position to take the cup .from the platform' and also to hold the cup on the cup transferring member while thecnp is being transported thereby from the platform to the magazine;

Further objects ofwthe invention are to protransferring member is "manipulated so asto place the cups in nested relation in themagazine with the single plylsides of the alternate cups on one side of the stack andthe single ply side of the remaining cups on the opposite side fof the stack. 1 Y h Further objects of' the invention are to improve devices of this'type invarious particulars which will be more fully hereinafter set forth. Referring now to the drawingswherein I have illustrated a selected. embodiment .of the invention: a

Fig. 1 is a view partlyin section showingQa device for nesting ;the cups in accordance with this invention; l

Fig. 2is an enlarged section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; l i

Fig; 3 is a face view of the valve element 66'; Fig. 4 is a view of the element 59 of the valve, mechanism; x Fig. 51s aface viewof the valve element 6 i Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6,

Fig. l is an enlarged planfviewof the cup, transferring member and means for operating it; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the guide tube for the cup transferring member; 1 Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99,Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is afragmentary view showing theicup transferring member in side elevation and illustrating theoperationof placing a cup into; the magazine;

i Fig; 1-11 is theline ll-l l, Fig-12; h

vide an apparatus of this type iriwhich the cup 20 the line lZ-IZ, Fig. 11, said Fig. 12 showing a stack of nested cups in the magazine;

'' supported on a suitable frame it.

1 1 'Ihebups maybe formed from the blanks by matic means. v v

Referring first to Fig. 13, l indicates a flat open-mouthed paper drinking cup of the type which is very commonly. used. This cup is made from a blank of paper which is foldedinto cup shape with the marginal portions '2 and '3 of the blank having an overlapping relation and being adhesively securedtogether. The bottom of the cup is folded over as shown at 4 thereby to provide a closed bottom, and this folded overlapping portion lis also *a'dhesively secured to the side wall of the cup. A cup having this construction presents two, folded edges 5 and'ii, and one side 1 of the cup, which for conveniencewill be re ferred'to as the front side, is formed from a single ply or thickness ofthe paper, while the other side'fi; which for convenience will be referred to astheback side, has the two thicknesses or plies where the portions 2 and 3- cf'the blank overlap each other. 1 My present inventionprovides-meansfor as- -s'embling open-mouthedflat drinking cups such as shown in Fig. 13 in nested: relation but with the single ply front side?! of the alternate cups fin the stack of nested cups 011 one side of the stack and the single ply front'side of the remaining cups .on 'theiopp'osite "side :of the staclnas shown in Fig. 14, wherein the bottom cup in of the stack 'hasitsback-side B toward'the ob-; server, while the second cup I b of the stack has 1 its front face 1 toward the observer, and the; third cuplc also has its backside 8 toward the observer, while the fourth cup' Id has its front side '7 toward the observer, and so 'onp With this a1 rangement, the alternate cupsin the stack have their back sides on one side of the stackandthe' remaining cups in' the'stack'have their front sides "on-said side of the stack. T e-double thickness or two-ply side of half the cups in the :sta'ck will thusbe onone side ofsthestackand thetwo-ply or double thickness back side of the remaining cups inthe stack will be on the other :side thereof.

f The device for thus stacking the-cups comprises a platform 9 (see Fig. 1) onto whicli'the .cups' lv are delivered one by one/a magazine H3 adapted to receive a stack 12 of nested cups, su'ch as cshowninFig. l4, and a cup-transferringmember 'll adapted to take the cups l. singly from the 1 platform 9 and deliver them ,to the magazine in nestedzrelation to the stack lil -of cupstherein,

-'I-'hesef operative parts of the apparatus 'are any known mechanism anddelivered onto the platform 9 by any suitable means. Inasmuch as the invention is not concerned with the means for making the cups, Ihave not"illustrated any such cup-making means herein, it being sufficient tostate that the cups after being properly folded and formed, are delivered one by one onto the platform 9. There is shown herein afpaircf guide rolls M which are suitably supportedby the frame l3 and to which'theindividualcups 'arei'delivered froni the" cup-making device, "said cups passing between the rolls If! and through the chute l5 to the platform 9. p

The magazine It is shown as having a troughshape, it being open at the top, and as having at one end a plate It provided with an opening I! through which the individual cups are deliveredinto nesting relation with the stack 12 of cups in the magazine. This magazine is suitably carried by a bracket arm it which is mounted on the frame 13. a

The individual cups are delivered to the platform 9 with the bottom end of the cup directed toward the magazine and with the open top end of the cup directed away from the magazine.

Said cups, whendelivered to the platform 9, assume a horizontal position thereon.

The cup transferring member H is provided with a flat head I8 adapted to be introduced into the open end of the cup, and means are provided for manipulating the head I8 so as to move it forwardly from its retracted position shown in Figs. 1 and 9 into the open mouth of the cup, and then to continue the forward motion of the head during which the cup is transported, thereby from the platform 9 into the mag azine. it through the opening H in the plate it. Means are provided for giving the head It and the magazine a relative turning movement duringeach forward movement of the head so that the successivecups are deposited into the stack of-cups in reversed position. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this relative turning movement is secured by giving the head 18 a rotative movement, said head being given a quarter turn during each forward movement, thereby turning the cup from its horizontal position on the platform into a vertical position corresponding to the position of the aperture.-

- After each cup has been deposited in the magazine, the cup transferring member is given a backward movement to its initial position, and during such backward movement, it is again given.

a quarter turn so that it has a horizontal position ready to pick up the next cup.

"Means 'are-provided to prevent each cup from being withdrawnfrom the magazine its backward movement, and for this purpose I-have ,provided two spring arms 19 which are carried by the back side of the plate l6 and which are situated to be engaged by the ,corners 20 of eachcup as it passes through the opening l1. Thesespring arms are pressed aside as each cup is delivered through .the. aperture I? andjthen they spring back into position to hold the cup from being withdrawn from the stack when the head 18 is withdrawn, as clearlyseen in Fig. 12.

The head-l8 is mounted on a rod which is shaft 26. This calnacts on a follower 27 carriedby a lever'28 which is pivotally mounted to the frame at 29, said follower being held in en. gagement with the cam by the spring 32 which isattached to the lever 28. The upper end of the lever is connected by a link 30 to a sleevelike head 31 which encircles and is slidably mounted on the guiding sleeve 22. The'sleevelike he'ad 3| is connected tothestem 2! of the cup transferring member so that the cam actu- 7 in, mitted to the stem 2| and head l8 through the ated movement of thelever 28 will give reciproeating movement to the cup transferring member. As herein shown, the stem 2| has fast thereon a collar 34 which is situated within the guiding sleeve 22 and said collarhas a pin 35 extending outwardly therefrom which operates in a slot 36 formed in the guiding sleeve 22 and extends through thehead-like sleeve 3!. Thus, when the head 3! is moved back and forth by the lever 28, such back and forth movement will be trans-- pin 35 and collar. 34.

.Means are provided forgiving the head [8a quarter turn during each forward movement, thereby to turn each cup from the horizontal position which it has on the platform 5 into the vertical position necessary to insert it through the opening H of the magazine, and such means is constructed so that during successive forward movements of the head,.it will be turned in. oppo site directions. By this means, the successive cups are placed in the stack in reversed position.

The slot 36 of the guiding-sleeve 22 is provided with two branches a and 3511, one on one side of the sleeve 22and the other on the opposite side. i

As the cup-transferring memberis moved forward from its retracted position, the pin 35 travels in the slot 36, and means are provided whereby during every alternate forward movement, the pin will be directed into the branch 35a, and during the other forward movements, it will bedifollower in engagement with the cam 40.

rected into the branch 35b. The movement of the pin 35 into either branch 35a or 3% of the groove serves to turn the stem 2! about its axis, thereby g turning the head It from the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and? into the vertical position shown in Fig. 10.

The movement of the pin into either one or the other of the branch grooves 3511,5519 is controlled by a switch cam 31 which is pivotally mounted on the frame at 38. h

This switch cam has a pointed end 59 which is adapted to close one or the other of the branch grooves 35a, 35b, accordingto the position of said switch. When the switch is in the full line position, Fig. ,7, the pointed endoverlies andcloses the branch groove 3% so that when the .stem

ZIand head l8 move forwardly, the pin 35 will be diverted by said switch cam into; the branch 35a, and thus the head It willbe given a quarter turn into a vertical position with the left hand end of said head as shown in Fig. '7 on the upper side and the right hand end of the head on the under side.

If the switch cam is swung intodthe dotted line position, Fig. '7, then the point thereof will close the branch groove 35a so that on the forward movement of the head it and stein 2!,the pin 35 will be diverted into the branch 355, which will result in giving the head a quarter turn but in a direction which will bring the right hand end of the head It in Tto the topon the left hand end, as shown in 7 on the. under side. The movement of the switch cam 31 is controlled. by a cam member 40 which is mounted on a stud 4! journaled in the portion 24 of the frame.

earn 4!] cooperates with a followertl? carried by the extension 43 of the switch earn 3! and the latter is acted on by a spring 44 whichholds the The cam surface of the cam 45 is on the side face thereof and said cam surface presents the high portion 45 and the low portion 46. ,When the follower is on the high portion 45 as shown in and communicating with a flexible pipe 58 which' Fig. 7, the switch cam is'in a positionto close the branch groovetfib, but when the cam has rotated so that the follower is running on the low portion of the cam, then the spring 44 will swing thereby closing the branch groove 36a.

This cam 40 is rotated in timed relation with the rotation of the cam 25, said cam 40 rotating once for every two rotations of the cam 25, so. that during each alternate forward movement of 1 the cup transferring member, the switch cam will be in the full line position, Fig. '7, while during the other forward movements of said member, the switch cam will be in the dotted line position, Fig. 7. i

, While any suitable means for rotating the cam ll] may be employed, I have hereinshown said cam as having a sprocket wheel 41 rigid therewith which isactuated by a sprocket chain 48. driven from a sprocket wheel 49 one shaft 50.

This shaft 50 will be operated in suitable timed relation with the shaft 26 so that the rotation of the cam 46 will be timed properly relative to the transferring members is retracted. The platform 3.

9 is provided with a suction port 5| which is situated inthat part of the platform on which the top portion of the cup, rests after it has been delivered to the platform, and this suctionport communicates with a pipe 52 which extends to 4'. a valve device 53 that controls the application of suction to saidport 5|. The suction is produced by any suitable suctionfan or exhaust mechanism which is connectedto the valve 53 through a suction pipe 54, and the valve operates .g to automatically establish communication between the pipe 52 and the suction pipe 54, just after a cup has been delivered onto the platform.

. and tocut off said suction as soon as the head l8 has entered the cup preparatory to transporting it to the magazine ill. The suction at the port 5| draws the under side of the cup down firmly against the platform, thus holding the mouth of the cup open sothat the head I8 may freely enter the same.

The head I8 is provided with two suction ports .55, 56, one on each side thereoLand'said ports communicate with a passage way 51 extending axially of the stem, said. passageway leading to is connected to the end of the stem. This pipe 58 also leads to the valve 53 and the. latter is constructed so that as soon as the head l8 has entered the open mouth of a cup and the suction at the port 5| is cut off, the pipe 58 will be con,- 0.

nected with the suction pipe 54, thus producing suction at the ports 55, 56 which will draw the opposite sides of the cup down against the head it shown in Fig. 15, thus securely holding the cup on thehead. This suction is maintained at 7 theports 55, 56, during the forward movement of the head and until the cup carried by the head hasbeen deposited into the magazine In in nested relation with the stack of cups therein. The valve 53 then closes the communication be- '7 the switch cam into the "dotted line position, 5

the suction port 5| in the platform 9 and the breaking'the suctionaat the ports 55, 56, so that the retraction of the head will not withdraw the cup from the magazine.

A suitable valve device adapted to function in this way is shown in Figs. 2 to 5. This valve comprises a rotary valve member 553 which is shown as rotatably mounted on a stud 6!] carried by a bracket arm 6| rising from the frame. The rotary valve 59 is provided with a port 62 which extends through the latter. This valve member. isshown as provided with a hub 63 on which is made fast a sprocket wheel 64 by which the valve member is turned, and said sprocket wheel is shown as being driven by a sprocket chain 65 leading to a sprocket wheel on the shaft 50.

i6 is a disk which is stationarily mounted on the hub 5.5, one face of said disk engaging the side face of the valve member l9 and having therein an annular chamber 6'! Which is in constant communication with the suction pipe 54,

the latter being screwed into the edge of the stationary disk 66, as shownin Fig. 2.

68 indicates another stationary disk mounted on the stud ill and engaging the other face of the valve member 59. This disk 68 is also a station- .arydisk and may be held in place on the stud to by suitable set screw 69. The disk 68 is provided with a small chamber '10 in the face thereof which engages the valve member 59, said chamber 10 having constant communication with the pipe 52. The disk 68 is also provided with an elongated chamber H in the face thereof whic11.,contacts with the rotary valve W, said chamber 7] having constant communication with the pipe 58.

The port 62 of the valve member 59 is in continuous communication with the annular chamber H and thus in continuous communication with the suction pipe 54.

As the valve member 59 rotates, the port 62 is brought. into register, first with the chamber IQ of the disk 53, and then with the chamber of said disk. When the valve port 62 is registering with the chamber 19, as shown in Fig. 2, said valve will afford a direct communication between suction pipe 54, whereby a suction will be produccd at said port 5|. As the valve member 59 rotates, the port 62 therein is moved out of regisfor with the chamber 'Hl, thus breaking the vacuum at the port 5|, and into register with the chamber 1!, thus bringing the pipe 58 into communication with the suction pipe 54, and establishing suction at the ports 55, 56 of the cup transferring member. The chamber 10 is of sufficient length so that the suction will be maintained at the ports 55, 56, during the movement of the cup transferring member by which the cup is transported from the platform 9 into the and as soon as the cup has been deposited in the magazine in nesting relation with the stack of cups therein, the valve port 62 will be carried out of register with the chamber H thereby breaking the suction at the ports 55, 56.

The means for operating the valve member 59 is such as to cause said member to make one rotation for each rotation of the cam 25 so that the valve which controls the suction is operating in timed relation with the movements of the cup transferring member.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for nesting drinking cups comprising a platform, means for delivering drinking cups singly to the platform, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a cup transferring member to take each cup from the platform and deliver it into the magazine in nested relation to the stack of nested cups therein, and means for turning. the cup-transferring member alternately in opposite directions as successive cups are delivered.

2. An apparatus for nesting drinking cupscomprising a platform, means for delivering com pletely made drinking cups singly onto the platform, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, and a cup transferring means to deliver cups singly from the platform to the magazine in nested relation to the stack of nested cups therein and with adjacent cups in the stack in reversed relation to each other.

3. An apparatus for nesting fiat drinking cups which have a front side and .a back side, said apparatus comprising a platform onto which cupsare delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, and cup transferring means to deliver cups singly from the platform to said magazine in nested relation to the stack of nested cups therein and with the front sides of alternate cups, of the stack facing in one direction and those of the other cups in the stack facing in the opposite direction.

4. An apparatus for nesting fiat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a reciprocating cup transferring member to take cups singly from the platform and deliver them into the magazine in nested relation to the stack of nested cups therein, and

means for giving the cup transferring member a turning movement first in one direction and then in the opposite direction as successive cups are delivered to the magazine.

5. An apparatus for nesting flat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of 'to'take cups singly from the platform and deliver them into the magazine, means toreciprocate the cup transferring member, and means to apply suction to the suction port in the platform after a cup has been delivered thereto but before the cup: is picked up by the cup transferring member.

7. An apparatus for nesting flat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a cup transferring member having a head to enter the open end of a cup on the platform and of a size to fit the interior of the cup, means to actuate the cup transferring member thereby to transport a cup from the platform to the magazine, and suction means to retain the cup on said head during the transportation thereof.

8. An apparatus for nesting flat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a reciprocating cup transferring member having a head to ente the open end of a cup on the platform and of a size to fit the interior of the cup, said head having suction ports, means to reciprocate the head to transport a cup from the platform to the magazine, and means to apply suction to said ports during the transportation of the cup.

9. An apparatus for nesting fiat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a cup transferring member having a head to enter the open end of a cup on the platform, and also having a stem, a guiding sleeve through which the stem extends, said sleeve having a slot formed with two branches, a pin rigid with the stem and operating in said slot, means to reciprocate the cup transferring member, and means for directing the pin into the two branches of the slot alternately during successive forward movements of the cup transferring member,

whereby the head is turned first in one direction and then in another during successive movements thereof.

10. An apparatus for nesting flat drinking cups comprising a platform onto which cups. are delivered singly, a magazine for holding a stack of nested cups, a cup transferring member having a head to enter the open end of a cup on the platform, and also having a stem, a guiding sleeve through which the stem extends, said sleeve hav-; ing a slot formed with two branches, a pin rigid with the stem and operating in said slot, means to reciprocate the cup transferring member, and

a swinging cam for directing said pin intothe two branches of the slot alternately during successive forward movements of the cup transferring member.

SHALA W. HENRY. 

